Rebuild of Evangelion
by Evanin
Summary: The world is at the verge of its end, dormant Evangelions have awakened into a higher form dubbed as Archangels, charged to oversee the last judgement over mankind. The Children have been summoned to meet them on the final battle.
1. Episode 1: Out and Onto Oblivion

**-A-**

Earth was not the same. Ruins of once splendid cities from the past are chiseled away by the waves that break through the days and nights. Its waters now tainted with the blood of men, a result of the conflict that brought the catastrophic blow to the entire planet. Much is gone, regions around the globe are barren wastelands with little to no sign of anything living. Life would recover of course, through the eons, the microbes and remaining creatures that have survived will thrive with the evolution coming in to crown new kings for the Earth, though little can now be said to the human race. They are few now, and the time when they were known as the masters of the world has since passed, their glory being ancient memories that will be remembered through the legacy of their ruined civilization. It was not even long ago when they held dominion, after the apocalyptic event known as the Second Impact, there were signs of recovery and technology never before seen sprouting, slowly taking over the new era of survivors and insuring that things will return as they should, but it has been denied. Twenty nine years later, at the will of God, the world is on its last breaths and its pulse slowing down.

**The Year is 2029 A.D.**

Shinji Ikari opened his eyes for the first time, around him were broken buildings inhabited by overgrown weeds that have taken over the entire city. He shuts his eyes hard, slowly opened them, and closed again. After his pupils gradually come accustomed to the blinding sun, he realized himself standing in the middle of a road, as if he was gazing over a ghost in the distance, but there was no memory of who, and why he was here, he could not remember his past, any of it, as if his life was blinked into existence in a sudden instance. He knew enough to form words, to think and wonder in Japanese, to recognise what he was seeing, even if he could not understand it. The path in front of him was laid bare, decayed cars are scattered over the side of the road, with dead voltage lines tangled around walls and broken poles. The more the boy saw, the more confused he got when unanswerable questions began piling up a sense of fear crept into his mind. The fear of not knowing where and how he was here. He began to look for something familiar to latch on to, anything close enough for him to feel better.

Shinji began stepping towards a phone booth and looked at the rust and the beyond maintenance status, yet that sense as if he was here before bubbled in him. He pulled out the red handle and rested it on his face, something that could trigger his memories, but greeted by silence. He pondered over his position, for a minute he was holding a dead phone on his ear, and when he knew that the point was useless, he rest it back to where he picked it up. He turned his eyes behind him, hoping to see something, but the city was as deserted as he remembered it, the wind began to pick up some speed and a few movements of the trees and weed were making the place look more alive. That should be enough for now.

"There was no other choice." He whispered. Silently pondering over why he said that, and what made him wanting to express it. Something must have happened, something terrifying that put him to this spot, something that he deeply regrets. What was it?

The boy turned his back to the hills behind him, half expecting a massive spectre walking out from it, surrounded by the thunders of battle. What made him think that? He wondered. It was a weird sensation to be feeling deja vu and forewarning to a completely sterile environment. What made him expect so much from the world that has long since died? Shinji took a large breath before turning around and began walking, coming to the realization that he had to deal with his situation on his own that he is on his own and likely the only person alive on the planet. Such a weird feeling to have a whole world for your own.

A set of red stare blinked in the farness.

It only took a few step, however, for the rumble to emanate behind Shinji, he looked back, facing a stronger gale now blowing towards his face, scattering harder dust out of the ground and into the air. Finally, a wind blast knocks him off his feet, little chunks of debris began piling in the wind and irritating his vision, a shadow loomed above the sky, slowly rising into the upper clouds. He widened his eyes to meet the enormous winged whale floating hundreds of feet in the air, and as if its eminence was not menacing, its bellow let out a terrifying cry which rippled across the city and shattering glasses near enough of its presence. Shinji covered as the rumbling echoed and soared. For an entire minute, he was struggling to keep the dirt out of his mouth, when eventually the air settled, and the great floating fortress calms its roar and hymned. The boy immediately took on his feet and look into the distance that great wonder lying with the clouds. Shinji thought through his options and in a fit of sparked mindlessness and insanity ran towards it.

It did not take long for the road to reach a heavily fortified gate, guarded by a few men with guns patrolling the area, along with watchtowers on its sides, the boy stopped to look at them, sweating from running and breathing heavily in the heat. When the soldiers took notice, they brought their weapons on him.

"Halt! Keep your hands in the air!" One of them shouted, walking closer, still pointing his rifle at Shinji. The boy knew better than to refuse, he raised both of his arms and made a gesture of compliance, still keeping with his large breaths. "Who are you?" The man asked, wearing black goggles and a mask covering his nose and mouth. There was a moment when Shinji knew exactly what to answer, but stopped as his lips quivered in its loss for words, he stumbled on the realization that he neither even knew his own name. He wanted to say something however, to be as confused as the man pointing the gun at him. He gulped some of his saliva trying to search for something to say.

"What is that ship?" Said Shinji.

"I asked who you are." The soldiers insisted, and of course he would, they do not like it when you evade their question, it makes it look like you are trying to hide something, and they are nothing but paranoid to that.

"Just... Someone passing along."

"I can see you were running." He noticed the sweat.

"I wanted to see the ship." He icily admitted. At least to that he was honest. "What's it doing here?"

"What does it concern you?" Asked the soldier, touching the gun barrel on his cheek as if examining his physicals. "This is a heavily restricted area. Where are you from?" Again, Shinji did not know what to say. He was still tired from the running. He denied the question, he only did not know, and he absolutely refused to make a fool of himself. "Fine, we'll play it your way." The soldier groaned, rapidly lifting his weapon, and with its butt slammed it hard against the side of Shinji's face, a rush of pain overwhelmed his mind and then darkness.

* * *

**Arc 1.11 **

**Episode 1: Out and Onto Oblivion**

* * *

"Why did you bring him here?" Said the voice in the midst of the haziness.

"We saw him running outside towards us. He has nothing else but his clothes, scanners indicate he is clean, sir." Another replied.

"No one should even know where this place is. The order was clear to shoot on sight." Shinji tried to focus his blurred vision, the pain began rubbing roughly on his head as he notices that his hands were cuffed in front of him. He looked around him, he was sitting down in what is some sort of small office with an opened window to the right of him.

"Sir, he is... He's just a boy."

"I can see that very well soldier." Shinji looked up to meet the man walking towards him, he looked older, and noticeably of a higher rank. "You're awake?" Shinji nodded. The officer removed his peaked cap and kneeled to face him on eye level. "Where are you from?" The Major lowered his voice.

"I don't know." He instantly replied, rather than risking of feeling another headache again.

"What's your name?"

"I... I don't know that either." The man paused for a moment to look at the boy more firmly. As irritating as it might be, he seemed to accept that for now.

"Sir, the lieutenant is here to inspect the cargo." A voice came from out of the door, where another officer arrived to report the situation out of the building, the Major nodded his head to his footman and stood up, putting the cap back on his head. "Keep an eye on him." The soldier saluted. Shinji simply went back to stare at his manacle, arousing another sense of deja vu as if he has seen them before. Two objects has come to feel acquainted, as if he somehow had once used them once upon a time. But the amnesia frustrated him, the wall to revelation was too thick to break and too high to climb. The boy took another deep breath and shut his eyes, trying to meditate to his mind, scouring through anything possible that was there. After ten minutes of swimming in his pool of emptyness, Shinji abandoned the idea and turned to look at the soldier guarding him, poised with his goggles and mask already removed. He was not much older than him, perhaps twenty years old or so, barely an adult. After a few minutes at a staring contest, Shinji ends the silence.

"What is this place?"

"Classified." The man replied. Shinji thought as much, he wanted to ask further but knew better against it, he moved his head back down.

"I'm sorry..."

"What for?"

"I didn't know the place was restricted. I just, saw the big ship and... Thought I should take a closer look." The soldier only pondered to himself, saying nothing. Shinji stared back on his wrists, a sense of worry slowly crept in. "What will happen to me?"

"...It depends." That did not felt reassuring in the slightest. If only he ran the other way. _'What a stupid thing to do.'_ He thought.

"Depends on what?"

"Many things." Shinji rested to ponder on it for a while, there was a lot he was expecting, and none of them were good. He did not care however on what would happen, he knew that he will be ready when it comes. The door behind the guard finally opened, the Major entered with another officer following behind, she was an attractive and young brunette wearing a military beret with a white uniform.

"He's over there." Said the Major, leading his arm at Shinji. The girl walked closer until she was a few feet away. "He claims to not even know his own name. He was seen stumbling just outside the gate, this guard brought him in." The soldier greeted back as she acknowledges, beginning to move closer, noticing the bruise on Shinji's head with her face only a few inches away. She took a piece of paper out of her coat and touched the blood on his forehead, before tucking it back in. "There's no need for you to bother yourself, lieutenant. He will be properly disposed of."

"Disposed?" She quickly turned her attention. "I hope you're not planning to shoot him and throw the body in a trench. I thought the Volition has become more than that."

"Only precautions ma'am." Even though a lieutenant is of a lower status, the Major seem to act like she far outrank him in so many levels. "These regions are dangerous places. The outpost has seen enough daring assaults."

"He was alone wasn't he? He's just a boy and he is bleeding, I suppose any of you didn't bother enough to patch him up?" The two men stood there awkwardly as if they've disappointed their commander. "That's alright, bring him to me, I'll deal with it." She stated contently.

"Really lieutenant, we can handle one underage prisoner."

"Oh I'm sure you would. But I'm only taking this one with me. The child is officially under my custody, I'll be relieving him off your hands for the moment. I am sure your camp would run better with one less prisoner to worry about." The Major looked heavily confused.

"I do not understand why he would be so-"

"This is the last time I'll repeat it sir, he's coming with me, unless you're hoping for a court martial by the Admiral you're going to uncuff him. Be sure that he gets in my jet."

"...Yes, ma'am." Feeling forced, the Major acquiesced, commanding the guard beside him to follow her orders, raising the key and unshackling Shinji. There was a sense of gratitude knowing his wrists were his again, but before he could even speak or express himself, the girl exited the building as the guard led his ex-prisoner out of the office.

* * *

Shinji obediently followed the officer with his arm held by his watcher. He was content enough to be freed but unsure on who exactly he would be held captive to next, or if it even be any better than where he stumbled upon. At least the energetic scenes around him took more of his notice to distract Shinji. The damage from the blaring of the ship was even more so evident here, broken windows, cracked walls, toppled trees were descriptions which would fit all shots at a tour of the camp. Soldiers rushed orderly towards warehouses, multiple aircraft landing and departing throughout various helipads, and trucks filled with cargo moving in traffic pass narrow streets to head up into what seem to be multiple VTOL jets lined up orderly on the special side of the apron. The group arrive to the first parked jet and opened the door to its entrance.

"That would be all, thank you." Said the medical officer to the guard holding Shinji, looking at him suspiciously for a good three seconds before giving his final salute and turning his back at them. The girl nudged her head to let Shinji board first as she follows right behind. The door closes, going up a few steps of stairs the boy found a seat and made himself comfortable. The officer turned to speak a few words to the pilot and messed around with a computer on the wall beside her. Shinji looked attentively, suspicious at whatever she was crafting for herself, but the screeching engines made it difficult to hear anything. The girl took out the bloodied piece of paper that she touched Shinji with and slotted through a small device beside the monitor where it flashed a curious photo of him before quickly being shut away.

_'They know things I don't. They might even know who I am.'_ Thought Shinji, as his chest swelled up with alleviation mixed with anticipation. Who could have guessed that he stumbled onto the place where the answers were right on their fingertips.

"So what's a cute lad like you getting caught by a bunch of our grunts from Tokai?" The girl sat in front of Shinji, snapping his head out of his moment. To that realization he felt flattered, but the question was what mattered setting attention to. "Oh, sorry, where are my manners, the name is Sakura Suzuhara, second lieutenant aboard the Wunder. Medical Officer for the Volition HQ." She scratches her nose with a finger. "...But the introduction is kinda redundant when you don't even know who you are, do you?"

Shinji simply opened his mouth and shut it again. He knew nothing. He felt like coming into this world blind, like a newborn with a language and all its words set into his brain but with no knowledge of what's around him. It was a terrifying sensation.

"Do you?" He simply said, moving his gaze to the window.

"I've ran a DNA test from the sample, the MAGI seems to be sure. Your name is Shinji Ikari. Once known as the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-01." She pulled out a photo of him wearing a black looking uniform and gave it to him. How could he have even lived for so long? From what records showed him, he was fourteen in 2015. He still looks fourteen now. "I know you have even more questions bubbling, but there's too much to explain. Even if I could I'm afraid that... I'm not qualified to answer them."

"Why?"

"Well, let's just say that there are people who were far closer to you still alive, and they're my bosses. They'll be pretty spooked seeing you. You've been dead for quite some time."

"Dead?" Shinji simply kept staring at the picture. A hundred question marks fired in his cerebral like a mini-gun.

_'How did I die?'_

_'What did I do?'_

_'What happened?'_

_'Who knew me?'_

_'Who were they?'_

"Who was I?" He felt like plunging his hand in a jar and plucked a random note.

"A legend, Mr Ikari." Sakura smiled warmly. "And quite an infamous one."

* * *

Around 5500 miles from the archipelago of Japan, hundreds of sensors lit up through innumerable panels in waves of wildfire. Tides of alarms and sirens blared across all detecting stations of the coastal states, signaling the beginning of what has been anticipated and widely dread since the conception of Operation Genesis. The great cross of light rose over the ruins of the Second Branch as it torrents high into the atmosphere of the Earth in an eerie spatial silence with a blast field slowly swallowing deserts in its vast hellmouth. The beast at the epicentre marveled at its own glorious return, the first of her sisters, greeted the new world with open arms.

* * *

Asuka Langley brought her hand to the sky and stared at her fingers streched out of her palm with her back resting over the face of the Wunder. The sun is high and the day young, she felt relief to have gotten a rest for the morning, her tests with Doctor Akagi have been taking a toll on her as her left eye began pinching harder and harder whenever she steps out of those simulation plugs. It has gotten worse over the past few months, though she never made a big deal about it, the eyepatch disguised the pain well, and the sting were only very temporary until last night, waking up screaming, clutching her face as if she'd been stabbed in the eye socket from a lance bursting out of the back of her head. She could even see the blood pouring from her orbit as she yells furiously at the horrifying moment. She could not understand why she kept thinking that, but the dream was not something anyone could just ignore, the pain was too real and the nightmare too vivid. What could bring her to think of such things? Nothing in her duty with the Volition has brought such a traumatic experience. She was certain that such events has never happened to her before, but could she be truly sure? She could not even recall her last memory before 'arriving'. Is this a memory from the past? From the world of her amnesia? She puffed away at those thoughts, she did not care who she was, she is Asuka Langley, designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-89. She is satisfied enough to know just that.

"Up here again are we?" Said a voice coming out from behind, the Second Child did not flinch, she simply rested her arm and shut her eyes out. "Well, sunbathing would do you some good, but you would need to get the plug suit off though, you really don't want to get sticky in it. Oh man! How I miss those bikinis! And we're so close to the beach!" Spoke the brunette in her pink wearing, pouting beside her redheaded friend. Asuka remained mute. "Hey, you sure are rude to people who want to light a conversation."

"What do you want, Mari?" Asuka grunted angrily.

"Sheesh, what a tone, if I didn't know any better I'll be telling everyone you're having the time of the month." The Sixth Child removed her glasses from the blinding sun. "Can't a friend just tag along?"

"I know why you're here. I'm not interested."

"Come on! I didn't even said anything!" Mari was surprised but amused.

"It's not hard to guess what you're going to say when you've been saying it for five months."

"Well, okay, maybe I've been pushing a little bit roughly. But seriously, you need to set your eyes on someone before someone else picks them away." The Sixth Child stood over her partner, lowered herself and crawled her body over Asuka, covering the sun as Mari's skin lid close enough from comfortable. She gave her signature naughty smirk, on her lips was a piece of paper hanging. Asuka was undaunted. "I've got his number." Asuka puffed back. "Don't you want to try that? Have that special someone lying on you in this position, caressing your face? Telling how beautiful your pretty eyes are under the moonlight?"

"And you're the expert?"

"I've had my share of boys." She winks and chuckled, removing herself again before turning back to where she came out.

"Be sure to give him my refusal."

"Suit yourself, you're needed on the bridge in five, we'll be leaving soon." Asuka opened her eyes, suddenly popping that burnt in image of a boy snaking on top of her.

"Idiot." She muttered, shaking her face, quickly shutting the imagination out of her head and stood up to see the dozens of jets lifting needed supplies from the direction of the near submerged city of Odawara, framing the perfect view of a broken world.

Wearing a red jacket and a black cap that's picked off the ground, the girl entered through a dimly lit corridor with a mobile in her hand, dialing the wheelhouse. This narrow, cramped passageway has always been her private sector of the ship ever since she lived here, it was a comfortable place despite the constant gloom and the haunting lights over the sides, but she could not ask for better. The path lead out of the ship where she can lie down undisturbed for however long she needed, which suited her needs, and it was close enough to her quarters. But day dreaming is over, as of now it is back to business.

"Nagara, get me up to status." She placed the transceiver over her ear.

"HQ is on Yellow Alert, we're receiving disturbing readings over the West Coast, charts are writing signs that are off the scale. All we're hearing are rumors so far, and none of them are good, the official line across the ocean is cut off, the Captain is going to want to check it out." The woman on the other line spoke.

"We're heading for America? How soon?" Asuka stepped down a flight of stairs and lowered down metal bars along the path.

"Right now. All cargo is on board, the manifest would have to wait, boss wants you prepped and ready on the bridge."

"I know, I'm headed there." Asuka hangs up and rested her hands to her pockets, disappearing into the dark.

* * *

At the command bridge of the Autonomous Assault Ark, or colloquially known as the Wunder, felt highly compacted and restricted, its oval and round windows did little to alter the grey light seeping in from the outer world as equipments become crammed and stacked repeatedly over one another the more they become added by engineers readying their ship for the unforeseeable main event. It was hard to imagine Volition superiors conducting the vessel from such a hefty position, but all those who serve, revered the brain of this giant, not the crowded room, but the crew behind its screens. However, the dimly lighted chamber did nothing but unsettled newcomers and intimidating them from ever deterring their current standing or duty. Here is where the barks of the most crucial orders are shouted, and knowing that their voices are being carried by thousands of those on the receiving end below, a sense of respect was obligated. This was Asuka's impression coming here for the first time long ago, feeling claustrophobic and uncomfortable as if the ship itself is some sort of thick prison built entirely to cage you, forever enslaved in its labouring bowels of eternity. Returning, that savour hasn't changed.

"Second Child reporting for duty." Amidst the chatter of the control station, Asuka straightened herself to meet her Captain, a daunting sight standing high akin to a statue facing over the crew over the highest platform. There's not much that can be said of Misato Katsuragi, the only person that truly knows her seem to be the Vice Commander, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, but even her could not tell what works in the mind of her superior any longer. Asuka always felt a strange sense of familiarity to her Captain, there was always that feeling of recollection whenever she hears the word 'Misato', like opening a photo album in your mind, but with all the photos bleached in white, while ghostly shadows crept at the few of them.

Ritsuko is stationed just beside her supervisor, reporting on the most crucial data pouring out of her information panels. She turn to give a fixed look towards Asuka, one that has been a common sight to many, but beside her sight, Akagi isn't a hard person to come chat with, she has always been open about herself, and definitely far more reachable than the Captain during lunch breaks, nonetheless, whenever Katsuragi was at presence, her mood is to the absolute professionalism.

"Good, I assume you have heard of the recent events over Capernaum?" Spoke the Vice Commander. The redhead rolled her eyes at a guess.

"The Second Branch?" The doctor triggered a hologram out of the monitor, showing a black map of the United States and numerous red dots with signs of alert concentrated at an epicenter coming out of Nevada.

"There has been an anomaly occurring over the old base, multiple Volition outposts are disappearing across the board by a moving target, whatever it is, it's crossing the continental US. By these estimates, it will reach Bethlehem Base in six hours." The hologram zoomed in to the main dot and a line spreading out, indicating a trajectory that reaches towards the East Coast to Massachusetts.

"And why tell me?"

"Even though our satellites have gotten outdated, we believe that the Dirac Sea incident from fourteen years ago has reopened, and whatever went through the interdimensional space has returned."

"Which means-"

"Genesis has been initiated. The word is already out." The Captain finally spoke, and Asuka knew exactly what that meant. For the past six months, she's been trained only for this very moment, and it is what all her training and tests has leaded up to ever since she was inexplicably found by Misato, a freshly packaged soldier empty of memories.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Prepare an activation test Doctor. We'll be deploying the Evas." The Vice Commander nodded, giving an expression that said she have had an intense argument on it before but refused to dwell any further. She prepped a few logs on her computer before pulling out a flash drive and walked passed Asuka.

"Come." Muttered Ritsuko, as Asuka slowly moves away from Misato, half expecting for her to turn to look at her, for encouragement perhaps.

"All hands for launch! Assemble every ignition on main engines! We're flying." But she did not, throughout the conversation a Captain's back was all Misato felt Asuka deserved before she stormed the gates of hell for her.

* * *

"Come now, really? After all we've been through?" Exclaimed Mari at Asuka, blocking door 89 from opening, clearly irritated over what she just heard. "You're going to try it first because you just happen to feel some sense of honor to protect me now?"

"I'm not trying to protect you, I want to get this over with as soon as possible. I've been low on energy lately and I rather take some rest before it all starts." In all honesty, Asuka was heavily dreading the feeling of stepping inside her Eva, and the longer she waited for someone else to take her turn would pump her excitement tenfold which could cause a boost over that pain in her patched eye again. She was afraid of that excruciating anguish from last night returning to haunt her.

"Yeah, but **after** I'm finished with mine. I've been with these people all my life, I have trained longer than you have, and if anything should go wrong I should be the one to take the blow and stop the whole process." Asuka turns her face from Mari, looking away.

"...Why do you care?"

"Why do I care? Is that seriously a question?" Mari was noticeably boiling if not for the smile she then let out. "You're the best pilot, it's obvious to anyone that meets you, and that's saying something from someone who've had a deep passion for these things. Eva is all I know, and I have come to love doing it for a long time, yet I see that bigger fire bursting to be more than I ever will. You are born to pilot Asuka, and this world can't lose that." The redhead paused a long while to stare at her friend. She felt gratitude, she wanted to say thanks, but something stopped her. She looked emotionless.

"It's personal. Really, I want to go first. I don't want to wait, whatever will happen after it is over, for better or worse, I want to get a nap." Asuka finally let out a calmer voice. It was alien to her as if she wasn't supposed to be kind, as if she should be acting entitled and gratified that she was the obvious superior. Mari simply looked away. "You've been a good friend Illustrious, I'm not watching you getting killed either."

"And you think I would?"

"Not if it's what I want."

"How can you say that? Are you secretly hoping to die in there?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I will live through this. I know I will." She reached her hand over Mari's shoulder.

"Everyone who have ever been in this test has either been crippled or dead." Stated the brunette.

"Everyone is not us." Asuka smirked slightly. She did know if the confidence was actually genuine, she felt terrified more than anything, but at the very least, it should be enough to fool a friend. Mari snorted, picking up her mobile and dialed the operation centre.

"This is Makinami, Langley will go first."

"We'll be setting the configuration for Unit-89 then, walk in Asuka." Replied Ritsuko from the speaker. The Sixth Child hangs up.

"It's your funeral." Grimaced, Mari stepped out of the way and opened the door for Asuka to enter, revealing inside to what was a massive white hanger that held the gigantic red and black armored humanoid, peacefully stagnant, held tight by huge thick locks around its shoulders and chest. Ritsuko was awaiting on the other side, observing behind a large densely protected glass window along side other operators. Asuka moved on the long gangway and held to the railing tightly, with the jacket and the cap still on her body, disguised her good eye widening with terror the more she approached her dormant devil. Eventually, the girl reached the entrance of her entry plug and began peaking at its interiors.

_'I don't want to die.'_ She said to herself. _'I will not die.' _She stepped in and faced destiny.

* * *

The cargo bay doors descended down, the warning blares from the weighing of the anchor has been alerted throughout the ship, hundreds of personnel rushed to their positions as the mighty ark began rising out of the ground and returning to the skies once again. Shinji beheld all the rumbling activity beside Medical officer Suzuhara while making way for a number of crew running pass them through the narrow transit.

"What a buzz, looks like we're taking off." She commented, finding her way in mazes of corridors and portals, where suspended steel passages hanged over the loudly hissing motors. "It's genuinely dumb luck that I got to you when I did, this ship rarely docks for months." Indeed, the boy could not fathom that he would fall perfectly into such a place, as if the pieces of a puzzle are coming into place and it was meant to be. Too perfectly. "Not to mention that very few people would have been able to recognise you on the spot, and I've probably researched on your name more than anybody else ever did. You have been sort of a fascination to me, Mr. Ikari." She giggled.

"How so?" The boy raised his eyebrows and wondered more as they kept walking.

"It's my big brother, when I was much younger we lived just about northward from here until I was hospitalized, he would visit and tell stories about the 'robot pilot' that injured me during the first Angel attack, and that he befriended with." Shinji felt slightly mortified.

"I... Injured you?"

"Big brother understood. He said that piloting an Eva has been painful to him. To you." The boy remained silent, much he still did not know. He piloted some sort of robot? What robot? It sounded so nonsensical hearing it from anyone. "Don't worry, I got better, see?" She chuckled, trying to lighten his brooding.

"And what happened? What made me... Infamous?" Sakura immediately turns away, clearly unwitting to delve on the subject.

"It's undeniable to say that the world was much more stable when you were around than what it has come to."

"And... I was responsible for it?" Shinji did not want to believe it, how could his actions have anyway affected this much? Was he some sort of villainous monster that roamed around with his robot trying to wreck the world apart?

"Well I-" A rang suddenly burst out of the officer's pocket, Sakura reached her suit, brought up her mobile and answered. "Finally, I've been trying to reach you people." The two of them stopped in a busy office, aside a windowed wall overlooking the engine room. Shinji took his time to gaze at the complex machineries. "...Yes, the inspection went smoothly, I have the manifest, but I went through..." She gave an eye over Shinji. "Something more important on the way... Yes, I need an audience with the Captain, she needs to see it in person... No, right now." She paused over her phone. "I don't give a feck if we're under attack, she has to meet me... No, no, it's fine, we can get there ourselves... Alright, we'll be there, thank you." She hangs up. "Come on, we don't have much time, we have to get to the bridge." Sakura reached her hand forward and grabbed Shinji's wrist, both running deeper in the ship's interiors.

* * *

Mari leaned her back against the wall, hymning as she checks her wristwatch for the ticking minutes, she despised whenever time seem to slow down during intensive emotions. She refused to be present at the observation deck, it was far easier to hear the result than risk in seeing a friend dying before your eyes. The brunette let out a sigh, it has only been five minutes, still at the first early moments of development for the operators to attempt an imprint on the Eva, basically like implanting fake thoughts inside a wild bear during a coma, and hoping that when it wakes it will think you're its mother. That is the tricky part, rousing up the beast, checking and assuming through later complicated tests that would assure that it is acknowledging your commands. Sometimes the bear would become insane at the moment of awakening, sometimes it rejects the pilot outright by injecting the entry plug with some acidity, sometimes it outright devours. Those who were lost in the Evangelions aren't a result of injury or painful suffocation by the LCL repudiating the pilot, the truth is worse, they all simply disappear. Dozens of testing subjects are still trapped inside the Wunder's Evangelions to this very day, either in Unit-89 or Mari's Unit-11, without hope of recovery. Asuka only knew of this truth not long ago, after Mari admitted to her during the big expedition to Tabgha, the Seventh Branch over the Moon, testing their capabilities over the discovery of several semi functioning Evangelions by the IPEA. The operation gained little success, no Eva was able to respond to the Second or the Sixth Child, some of the recovered data seem to have given Ritsuko some confidence over future activation tests, but all salvaged Seele's info have insistantly proven to be tough nuts to crack.

Resting alone on the walls of the waiting room, Mari's hymning began to form words, gradually building until she started to sing.

_"Come, let us be friends, throughout eternity_  
_Two to stand the test of time_

_Dawn has risen forth, to light these roads_  
_Where hope, shall lie, til the end_

_Freer than the birds, that soars into the sky_  
_Bracing for the wind and the storm_

_But the day is nigh, when we have to say goodbye_  
_Until, we will, meet again."_

Shinji awaited in the elevator as it speds up to the upper echelons of the ark, watching the light in the shaft zapping pass his vision one after the other.

_"It will arrive, when we have to say goodbye_  
_Until, we will, meet again."_

Asuka closed her eyes to erase the haunting red alerts erupting throughout the cockpit, she resisted the temptation to let fear flood her chest. That she is meeting her last moments. She simply waited.

_"Treasure all the joy, for they will, slip away_  
_Trust that they'll be safe, through this day_

_But the time has come, where we have to say goodbye_  
_Until, we will, meet again..._  
_Until, we will, meet again."_

Mari lowered her back to the ground, where she awaited the best or the worst to pass.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

_*****The music is an English version of the song 'Today is the Time for Goodbye'._


	2. Episode 2: Welcome Home

**-B-**

Shinji was transfixed by the light swinging by him and it was a hypnotization that relaxed his senses, bringing up flashes of buried crumbs of the past in rapid snapshots. Mostly trivial things, such as the color of a particular tree, a building with students coming in, an empty washed out hallway and a peculiar dislikable empty ceiling which unsettled him, but most exciting of all of them was that he remembered the smell of a particular soy coming out of a frying pan, when at one time he used to move around the kitchen. Perhaps he once cooked something, and he wondered who did he serve it to at that moment. Himself? Or others? It made him smile somewhat to remember that he did cooked for people who enjoyed his meals, were they his family? His parents perhaps? Is the Captain of this ship his mother? He was feeling energetic at the thought of being welcomed back by a loving individual where his life means something for the people who care about him.

"Who am I meeting exactly?" He turned towards Sakura still patiently standing in wait, facing the elevator door, holding her mobile with both her hands.

"Misato Katsuragi, Captain and Admiral of the Triad Fleets stationed in the Pacific, we are the Volition, some call us Wille. She essentially rose as the leader of the free world when things went to hell fifteen years ago, her faction was the most popular during the chaotic years while everyone were struggling to pick the pieces back up. Nerv's technological legacy helped us survive, they are why we are still alive, and it smoothen a cohesive society so far, but... Opinions became divided after Genesis was conceived." Shinji turned his head towards Sakura "Many splinter groups were formed from Katsuragi's ideals, they didn't want to prepare for another war, they only wanted to live their lives with all they have left, so they rebelled." Shinji nudged his lips a bit.

"What... is Genesis?" He asked.

"Genesis? Genesis is why this ark was created, a program devised to survive against the Angel's return. Doctor Akagi believe that the remaining Evangelions that were left still have the potential to awaken with a soul of their own... Angels are the reason the 'robots' were made, to combat these things. They're... also the things responsible for how the world became as it is."

"So... It's not entirely my fault?" Shinji began to feel hopeful that he was simply looking at this too harshly at himself. Sakura simply kept herself utterly quiet from blurting even a word. "Then... Why not just destroy the deactivated robots? The Evangelions?"

"Oh, believe me they tried, but you can't really kill an Angel without killing the Core, and it is wrapped in a cocoon of impenetrable AT Field that is impossible to make any dent on to anyone of them." Shinji turned away. The word AT Field rang hollow.

"...What happened to the rebels?"

"Captain Katsuragi could not keep them no matter how hard she attempted at persuasion, she decided to ignore them after allowing the group who wished to leave her service to disband. From then on anyone who wanted to desert would automatically receive punishment by imprisonment. Luckily, very few of those penalties were ever executed, many don't think leaving the service is a good idea anyhow, and we're low on manpower as it is, if we don't fight the threats that are coming to kill us then who would?" Sakura eyed behind her, the boy looked away timidly. "...Some of the groups became violent, they think of Katsuragi's operation as a farce. That it is all for the sake of power. They've successfully raided quite a few of our outposts in the past few weeks... It made many of our men on the ground uneasy, especially here in Japan, the Wunder itself had to step in." Now it made more sense why the Outpost men didn't want to take a chance with Shinji. "We have scavenged and pooled all the resources we could, and even for all the struggles of the past decade we have brought out... This wonder. Truly amazing." She eyed the ceiling, twinkling with pride at the human prowess in creating great marvels of construction. The boy could not realize the weight of such thing yet, for all his mind is, he has not seen the world for very long.

"Is... The Captain a friend of mine? From the past?"

"I've read that the Third and Second Child lived with her once, for about six months. So I would think so."

"The Second Child?" Shinji focused his attention on that particular title. There was more than a pilot for the robots with him? And they lived together?

"Ah yes, Miss Langley." Sakura giggled with her body to and fro. "She's also with us."

The red light turned green with a beep, and the elevator opened up to face a figure revealed before the users, a girl in red glasses and twin tail with a peculiar pink suit that covered all of her body skin lay greeting them.

"Sakura?" She was evidently surprised to suddenly face people in the elevator.

"Ah, if it isn't Miss Makinami!" Sakura smiled wide to greet her friend until she noticed Mari's wristwatch and realized that they are in a hurry. "Emh, listen, I'd love to chat, but we're terribly rushed to see the Captain and-"

"Hey, it's you." Mari set her eyes over to Shinji, resting her hands on her waist and smiling like an old buddy.

"...Me?" He pointed himself.

"Yes, the boy on the rooftop. You remember me?" She grinned.

"I eh... No, I'm-I'm sorry." He felt awkward not being able to pick up the slightest clue of who he was seeing, or what those teeth are insinuating, but he felt somewhat gratified to encounter someone who has known him.

"How have you finally been able to wound up here?"

"He doesn't remember anything about his life, Miss Maki... or the Third Impact. He was seen outside Outpost six thirty minutes ago, he doesn't know anything earlier than that." Sakura interjected.

"Man how lucky for you to stumble on us first then, quite an incredible occasion to see you of all people, puppy boy. Come on, if you're meeting the Captain I'll paste along if you don't mind."

"Fine, but let's hurry, we have to go."

"Righto." Mari gave a joking salute and followed the group heading forward to the bridge.

* * *

Asuka was mentally wrestling her Eva, the sheer amount of ire that the beast was shrieking was painful, she could feel that needle entering the socket deeper and deeper, her mind yelling at her for not being able to resist much longer.

"This is... Langley! I'm... losing control!" She wiggled in deeper pain as she heard no response, only the shouts of alarms reverberating back and forth inside the plug, dancing around the HUDs of her main screen. "Goddamn it! Can anyone hear me!?" Foam in the LCL boiled up more intensely. She could feel her face slowly melting away. The blue glow in her eye was getting brighter by the second. "Langley to command! Please respond!" The black patch began to tear finally letting go completely as she lets out a scream, a terrifying cry of pain as her eye tore apart and blinding light rushed out of the skull, overwhelming the cockpit.

One of the Spears rushed toward Unit-02, Asuka waved her arm to block the approaching target and let out an AT Field barrier, stopping the projectile midway. The great weapon began to morph into a bident, tearing her defenses like a knife pushing through cardboard.

"The Lance of Longinus?" Asuka was stupefied until the spear swiftly penetrated into Unit-02's skull, piercing the girl's head. An unimaginable torment erupted inside her mind.

_"I don't want to die."_ The little girl said to herself as she watches the crows tore and rape her flesh.

_"I don't want to die."_ The vultures surrounded her as her hand reached upward in the purest form of fury, grasping with the other hand onto the pouring eye.

_"I don't want to die."_ Her arm broke apart. Eight spears penetrated her body repeatedly until she was no longer alive.

**"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"**

The echo grew louder until silence fell once again. She was sitting on the chair inside a kitchen, with her face hanging above the table. She wanted to cry, she always wanted to cry, but there was a promise not to, she vowed to a little girl with the doll that she will not shed tear even if the torture becomes unbearable. She will endure, no matter what the world throws at her, she will stand strong as she always had since mother perished, and for the longest time she was sure she became impenetrable. But then a weak spot emerged, a indiscernible vulnerability that badly irritated Asuka, becoming something which she could not bear to linger on, that acid melted all that she has forged to protect herself whenever he was in her thoughts. Her knees crumbled because he was her weakness, a corrosive entity that tore the wall that she had built to withstand the tempest.

"I want to stay with you Asuka, and I want to help you, but I don't know what to do." That boy, the boy that had rejected her dared showing his face. The boy that ultimately could not even understand the closest people around him. The boy that killed her.

She could feel those hands choking her throat, and she led him do it, because she would rather die than ever admit that she had given up. She will not surrender against the storm, she will endure all weaknesses. She will exile all dependence of people from her mind, and she will become what she had set out to be, perfection.

"Mother?" He asked. The gentle palms reached to touch his cheeks. They were warm and comforting. The pain vanished, serenity had come and he knew that he was wanted. For what he ever wanted was to be needed. What Shinji always needed.

Love.

"How disgusting."

And he wept as she stared at him kneeling on top of her, sobbing over his actions, that he craved for anything than being alone, even if he'll be rejected. Once he would had said 'don't hate me' but he had come to understand that it no longer mattered.

"Please don't leave." He said, trying desperately to cling to her body as if she was not real. "Please don't ever leave." He clutched onto her plug suit as the red waves broke on the beach, desperate to hold on to the only thing he cared about. Asuka let nothingness be the answer, she wanted him to suffer, those thoughts were still inside her even though she knew he already paid for it. She has seen his mind, felt the loneliness, the confusion and its castigation. That's why she caressed him, because more or less, they are like one another, and for all they had to do, was to be with each other.

"I'll always be here." She replied because she knew he needed him. She could leave, she could completely break him if she wished. She could dissolve herself back into the sea and abandon the vicious world, but the time has come to learn from it and grow up, to accept a compromise, because she will live. She's alive. And he needed her. "Always."

* * *

**Episode 2: Welcome Home**

* * *

Last night, the doctor contemplated in the strategy room adjacent to her captain, the only light source that gave the two bodies any form of reference was the tactics board over the glowing table. Multiple three dimensional images swooped out, displaying intricate data in an understandable visual format, yet complex for the untrained eye.

"They're just not going to survive Captain." Doctor Akagi disagreed after pondering over countless calculations repeated thousands of times by the MAGI. Every single scenario for Asuka's activation test that were formulated or planned thus far has always resulted in an utter disaster of some sort. The expedition on Tabgha was worthless, not even the Seele secret cache revealed anything relevant that would stem anything that they did not already know, and it was the occasion that promised improvements over their chances in the Eva problem. For the sake of morale, the Vice Commander had to pull the look of encouragement that all the devoted energy wasn't thrown away for nothing. "I've done all I could, if you send one of them in there, she will die. It's as simple as that." She continued.

"The opinion of the MAGI is irrelevant in such circumstances, once she reaches the Great Beyond it will all depend on her fortitude." Misato was sitting on the Captain's armchair back in the corner, facing away from the light, arms crossed.

"Captain, I have over 33 cases that have irrefutably proven a dematerialization issue with 56 injured or gone chronically insane from fatal contamination levels. All these subjects never survive once they've reached a required synchronization point. No one that has ever touched the 55% margin succeeded at containing their plug from reaching the Terminal depth and kept their bodies intact. Can't you see? These Evas are infernal sink holes! Swallowing everything that gets in their touch! They are unsustainable wrecks! And an unquantifiable risk to this ship!" The Admiral said nothing. "...We are carrying time bombs Captain, and if we keep cutting their circuits eventually we will blow ourselves in the face. We cannot revive weapons that have long since expired. We cannot retrain mindless enemies. I urge you to let me find ulterior means for the Genesis."

"If the Evangelions are lost then so are we."

"Listen to yourself! Families have been broken over these experimentations! 89 of us were thrown into the wastes rather than fighting for their lives! How much more are we going to condemn children to the pits until we have revived the dead?"

"Miracles are fashioned by the actions of men. The trump card is at hand yet. We will keep trying, Doctor." An image of Asuka and Mari popped out of the screen, revealing in-depth data from their age to the DNA sequences.

"Tell that when every soul on this ship is doomed because of it, Katsuragi... Even if this works, sometimes a price can be too high." Ritsuko could not continue this debate any longer. Seeing that she's not shifting anyone's mind, the woman began stepping out of the room before realizing something else. "...People changed after the rapture, Misato. For many, it was for the better, and they owe you for getting them out of the mud. But I'm not so certain you were saved."

The doctor exited, shutting the door alongside the active holograms, turning the room off of all light. Misato rested on her chair alone, with the complete darkness as the only companion.

"Rui..." The phantom name was uttered.

* * *

"Such a small world we live in." Replied Mari after being told of Sakura's encounter with Shinji. "I'll need to introduce the redhead to you soon, puppy." She winked at him.

"Speaking of which where's Asuka?" Wondered Sakura, as the group stood aside each other on the moving walkway as the Sixth Child hymns of her usual jestful Japanese songs.

_'Asuka?'_ Shinji thought quietly to himself. The corridor they were in saw no end to activity moving about, it was safe to guess the ship was already flying, even though he couldn't feel it.

"She's in her big activation test. I got bored." Mari made it sound trivial with her eyes shut and arms rested at the back of her head.

"Activation? You're serious?" Only Sakura seems to realize the weight of this event. She felt absolutely terrified.

"Yup." She grinned, gesturing a V sign out of her hand.

"Mari, how could you let her take your place!? I thought you were supposed to be the first tested!"

"Apparently I'm more of a selfish and cowardly bitch than I thought I was Officer Suzuhara, I let my friend take the first round, so... my bad." Sakura wanted to rage and protest, to yell and shout further at how insane that sounded, but the Sixth Child shut her up and presented the large entrance opening up in front of them "Come on, here are your pearly gates."

* * *

The titan roared, its mouth gaping wide for the intruder that disturbed its slumber, its teeth spewed saliva against those that dared believe that it could be tamed as the fiery muscles attempts to escape the heavy restraints, loosening with every push.

Ritsuko was cut off from all communication and hope, she condemned herself and her captain for letting this happen, she knew it was going to end horribly, and yet she allowed it. She cursed to herself, shouted any order to personnel that would give some vague expectation that Asuka is alive and can still be rescued.

"Ma'am, I have no readings here whatsoever. The noise is blocking all signals from the inside, she could have reached the Great Beyond at this rate!" Yelled Maya Ibuki from the controls.

"Keep trying! Force reactivation from 2.9! Energise backup lifters and restart the Wrench! Initiate Protocol's 2 emergency sequence!" Immediately after the Doctor barked her order, the glass over the contingent panel shattered to open a handle that would vitalize their last chance to save a girl's life.

The massive screwdriver at the back of Unit-89 stabbed deep into its spinal area, locking with its grip and clipped the plug, forcibly attempting to pull by force, ignoring the unholy screams of the Evangelion. As its ire and agony grew to the breaking point, the beast unleashed its hidden energy and ruptured the shackles from its shoulders. Debris and sparks shattered, landing violently on the ground below, Unit-89 broke free much to the horror of the operators. Akagi did not wait a single second to yell her last order. "Release the bakalite!"

An outpour of red fluid burst like jets at the tubes of the hanger and showering the Evangelion completely with thick mud that slowed the beast somewhat. The eyes in its face lit up like explosions, turning to the Vice Commander standing aghast at the sight of the most vile of monsters. A man began reaching for the siren button to alert the ship.

"No, wait!" Yelled the Doctor, staring back at Unit-89 being overwhelmed by the fluid and kept gazing at the operation room through the thick protective windows. Doing nothing, it only watched, as if it was aware of their presence, that it was not a mindless. Instead, its enormous hand reached out and touched the glass in front of Ritsuko. For a long while they were all dazzled.

"Doctor? ...What do you make of this?" Maya was visibly shaken, unsure whether to scream or faint.

"This is not a berserk case I've ever seen..." Ritsuko was very disturbed, this was completely out of what should be happening, but she wanted to give it a try. Ritsuko reached her arm towards the com panel and attempted to open a dialogue, letting her voice enter the hanger. "Asuka? ...Are you there?"

* * *

Shinji found himself standing in the black chamber, the beating heart of the Wunder itself, and no one who has ever entered here could have guessed wrong. Sure, you might not recognise if it was empty, but the staff was what gave it away of course. Their eyes set upon him, it did not take them long to immediately recognise what they were seeing. This was that boy, the child that had been the catalyst of the end of the world, and they could not feel any more awkward about it. They were not afraid, or angry, but they were clearly not comforted by Shinji's presence, Shigeru Aoba only moved his eyes, Makoto Hyuga hid his expression behind the light. Koji Takao understood enough to know who he was looking at. Midori Kitakami glared intensely as if she did not see anything more interesting and disturbing, while Sumire Nagara and Hideki Tara gave good attention to stop what they were doing.

Mari crossed her arms, amused at the whole shock and awe reaction she brought onto the main crew of the Volition, as Sakura became intimidated by the silence and simply let it take its course. But the most curious response was from Misato Katsuragi, she was not looking at Shinji, her back was against him, but her face was tilted enough to know that he was there, and that she was sure that it was him. Shinji looked back, at the woman who was told once knew him, with a whimper he spoke.

"Are you... Miss Misato?" As if he pulled out a weapon from his pocket, the crew became even more uneasy. Some of the soldiers readying their guns started chatting, they clearly did not understand if the situation was safe or if they should be in any way worried.

"Shinji Ikari, isn't it?" Replied Misato, the tone of her voice did not change from any order she had given all day.

"Yes, Captain." Sakura bowed respectfully "The MAGI backs up the claim. Everything is of a perfect match, I avoided reporting my finding for fear of inducing unnecessary attention from the relevant issues." Misato did not budge whatsoever, it was so hard to see what she was thinking.

"Little would be of consequence officer. But I assume you have interrupted me for something?"

"Emh, ma'am, this is Shinji Ikari, your-"

"He is a stowaway aboard my ship, and you are the accomplice that had helped him. You're not culpable, but I would refrain to approve of your professionalism the next time you decide to smuggle a new passenger without my consent." Sakura looked more than surprised.

"I... I beg remission Captain." She bowed her head low, Shinji was only confused.

"Miss Misato? I..." He expected a more welcoming reception, instead he was seeing the face of a woman he could not recognise in the slightest. She was a statue, tall, firm and frightening to behold. "Don't you recognise me?"

"I assume you have no recollection of your past either, Mr. Ikari?" The Captain asked him. He could only pause. _'Either? What does she mean?'_ "Unsurprising. Now, if you have done wasting my time, report to Doctor Akagi. She will tend to your needs."

"Of course." Sakura did not waste a second to grab Shinji's arm and drag him out to save embarrassment.

"Wait a minute!" Shinji ran up the stairs up the Captain's platform. "Misato! Can you..." He was afraid to say it. "Do you... Do you remember the kiss? I remember that... If you were that Misato... I..." The boy was at a complete loss for words. He did not know what he was even talking about, but it did not surprise him to try mentioning the last fateful time he has seen Misato Katsuragi. Triggered from hearing her voice, one that has changed, but only sounding distant and weaker as if it was a throat of a person who has been drown so many times and it has gotten too tired to scream. Captain Katsuragi turned around, she removed her black goggles, and opened up, those eyes were immediately recognisable to Shinji. They were those eyes.

"Tell me..." Her voice became surprisingly softer. Her expression gentler. "What were my last words to the Third Child?" Shinji could feel it now, that aura of deep wanting. The frustration of pressure and the feeling of emotional chastity. The boy was terrified of what this woman has went through and what she needed to free herself. He could remember the mouth on his, and the tongue inside him. He was scared and he could only look away. "Find your answers. Until you have, don't ever set foot here. Take him to the cages." The Captain turned back around. A few men grabbed Shinji, he did not resist, they dragged him away as he watches the red cloaked figure disappearing behind the door where hope crashed inside him. He wanted to be accepted, to be embraced, for all his life, he never received such gifts.

Nerv was under attack, the boy stood in the elevator alone, sobbing silently with himself, he noticed his hand bloodied with the white cross amulet that's passed onto him, and he knew what it meant. He has become the next survivor, that the world is ending, that he is never going to see his guardian ever again. Shinji broke, and poured all the tears out of him.

A phone rang beside the Captain, she picked it up and heard what it had to say. "...I see, good work Doctor."

* * *

Ritsuko hanged up as she watches Unit-89 freeing itself from the crystalized bakelite, she knew it would not have done much good, the Evangelion managed to destroy an intensely pressurized lock with its bare shoulder using leaked AT Field charges, which would had been easy to tore through the resin. She kept herself silent, and was only relieved that for better or worse, it was over, they have succeeded in what they were striving for. Sacrifices weren't ultimately for nothing, but that is the excuse for those who believe that the end justify the means. Ritsuko lit up a cigarette, opening one of the last packs that can still be found around the world, sitting with herself after the room became cleared. She felt she had earned a smoke. This could have all ended a lot worse, the Wunder itself could have been torn apart by a berserked Evangelion, the recklessness of the Captain was insanely irresistible. But luck has always proven to be at her side, and that is a resource that's getting too scarce these days.

"Did I scare you?" Said the voice from the speaker.

"You actually very nearly killed us there. We would have gotten heart attacks if you haven't given us a sign." The voice chuckled. "...But I'm very proud that you've pulled it off."

"Yeah, it wasn't comfortable." She said.

"I bet it wasn't." The smoke trail from the cigarette touched the window.

"Will Mari be next?"

"Yes, now that we have a specific code line that represses the Evas we can proceed to implement your signature to Unit-11. You did very good, Asuka."

"Thank you."

"Do you feel alright?"

"I... Have been better, but yes. I have all my parts with me. Do you want me to come out?"

"Not yet, we still need to be certain that you aren't contaminated. Think of it as a quarantine for the moment. No worries though, you'll be out soon enough."

"Okay."

Ritsuko let out a long sigh, rubbing her forehead and relaxed a bit further. She still could not believe her work has pulled off, a decade of endeavour has come to fruition at last, but she wondered if it was all too coincidental, now that an Archangel has shown itself on the very same day. She brushes the worry, and wanted to indulge the success. The day is won for now.

"Can I ask you something?" Inquired the doctor.

"I suppose so."

"What did you see when you passed the Terminal depth? Have you experienced visions?"

"...Why do you ask?"

"An academic curiosity."

"I've... Seen things. Mostly dreamlike visions, you know. Or when you're very near death but can still form coherent thoughts."

"Were they vivid? Did anything triggered your memories to return?" Asuka went quiet for some time. The doctor was not less than suspicious.

"I have."

"How much did you get?"

"I... Would rather not talk about it." Ritsuko grabbed another puff and blew.

"I understand. But if you feel like sharing, I'm right here. Inform me of anything unusual happening to your body, don't get shy about it."

"I will."

"I need to dial the laboratory and send some of the data we've collected. I'll call you back."

"I'll be here." She shuts the com line and walked towards an open monitor, beginning to examine the history of the activation from the plug. Some of the readings have been scratched, but others did remain, from what she has seen, it would seem that when Asuka crossed the Beyond and temporarily lose her corporeal body. Not much can be presumed to what happened during the trip in the Core Engine. It is all up to speculations here. And yet, something bugs inside Ritsuko and made her uneasy, Asuka needs to be kept under tighter watch.

"Ma'am?" The door opened up to reveal Maya "The survey indicate that she's clean, there's no trace of anything contaminant, the girl is in optimal health."

"That's good, but we're keeping her under just in case."

"Also, the Children are waiting for you in the observation deck, the Captain requested that you'd see to them."

"We only have Mari and Asuka, Maya. 'Children' is not a title for each of them." She knew it was a commonality for the Japanese staff to call one of the pilots as a 'Children', but English would deteriorate if they just allow whatever orthography fits their new dialect.

"Actually doctor, we... We have gained another pilot. Shinji Ikari has returned."

* * *

Mari, Sakura and Shinji sat together in a room with a line of chairs facing the wall, each refusing to say a word. The boy rested his elbows on his knees with grasped hands, he was again back into wonderland, where his heart was a mess of disordered cracks. He could now remember that moment clearly, when he stood at faced Misato's face and her speech to him, of how he had to continue living and find his answers in the world. If only he knew why, why did she tell him this? What upset him so much that she had to pull him out of the brink? And then there was the kiss, he did not feel disgusted, only oblivious as to why. The question that made meeting Misato on the bridge all the worse was the idea that she loved him as someone more than family.

"What was that about a kiss?" Asked Mari, inquisitive at how the meeting ended.

"It's... Nothing. I thought it would get her attention." Shinji answered, feeling more and more embarrassed from letting such a thing loose.

"Aw, don't let yourself down, puppy. She's been as she is for a very long time." She rests her arm over his chair. "No one knows how her crane works anymore."

"I thought... I guess that no longer matters..." The girl chortles.

"It will always matter." The boy let his turmoil loose and turns towards Sakura, sitting on her own just in front of him, being eerily quiet. "Things just need to open up a little."

"Are you alright Miss Suzuhara?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. Just cursing to myself a little." She said, scratching her head.

"You look a bit shook. Is Miss Misato important to you too?"

"Well, we're not exactly together, no one is close a friend with the Captain, and even Doctor Akagi doesn't consider herself such anymore. But I do owe her a lot, big brother said she is the reason I got better, that we should be thankful to the Volition for keeping us together." Shinji nodded slightly.

"And... Where is your brother now?"

"He died. Five years ago."

"Oh, I... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We weren't around one another much back then." Sakura didn't seem to want to say any further and Shinji did not press it. He allowed himself to stay seated to his own.

"How longer do we have to wait here?" Mari stood up and reached the closest telephone. She stood there listening. "Out of service it seems." She hang up, walked to the door, slicing her ID card on the slot and realizing that it did not work. She tried again, and the red beep was its retort. "Damn it!"

"What is it?" Asked Sakura.

"They've locked us in!" She shouted, kicking the metal door.

"Huh?" The medical officer pulled out her own card and slipped through the slot. Nothing. "That's odd."

"Odd? We're caged!"

"Perhaps they don't want us to go anywhere."

"They could had just told us!" Mari lifted her arms and banged the door in front her. She groaned.

"They wouldn't let us in here for long." Said Sakura, glancing around.

"Do you even know where this place is? This is the observation deck." Stated Mari.

"I thought it was a conference room." Sakura looked at the wall in front of the chairs. "But that means-"

"Unit-89 is right behind this wall." The Sixth Child moved up towards the panel behind the chairs and probed at them to see what she should tamper with. "I thought I should had waited for a superior officer to do it but... Well I guess it serves them right for leaving two vulnerable girls alone with a boy." Shinji just blushes, keeping himself still on his chair. "Let's see here..." Mari floated her finger playfully above the monitor screen and pressed a few clicks. Suddenly, the wall in front of them lifted up, light gradually engulfed the room as they beheld what was on the other side. A massive black and red column was standing with pieces of red mud attached around its body, the Unit was moving about, checking its own limbs and hands. "Wow, so it really did work. I'm so awesome." Mari muttered, smiling to herself at the sane and harmless Eva in front of them.

Shinji looked at it with awe, so this was the robot they were talking about, and they were real. And he was once one of its pilot. "Is this... An Evangelion?" Sakura beamed her expression and nodded. Shinji could see its anthropoid appearance, the narrow torso and fluid motions of its body as if it was an enormous human being. "It looks... Beautiful."

"A pity I don't know how to open a com line to the hanger. Damn..." Mari attempted to scour around the panel in order to get what she wanted, a few clicks happened, and it only seem to bend a few of the seats. "Oops, not that."

"Hey, I think Asuka saw us." Pointed Sakura, as Unit-89's gaze was now towards them, its mouth panting slightly, the locks around the jaws noticeably broken. After standing firmly on its feet it moved towards the window, Shinji made a few steps back, clearly taken aback by a massive face approaching them. Sakura simply waved her hand in greeting.

"Asuka? Can you hear me? It's your merry buddy." Said Mari over a microphone.

"I can hear you." Said a voice out of the loudspeakers. Shinji widened his eyes as the Eva looked directly at him.

"Congratulations, partner! Not only did you rescued me from my possible doom, but you've tamed your Eva, truly a savior of my ages! Now get out of that thing and let's crack a few bottles to celebrate." The Evangelion kept looking at Shinji, and he did not know what to do about it.

"Mari? ...Who is he?" Asked Asuka.

"Ah, love at first sight eh? This is our adorable new friend, Mr. Shinji Ikari. Sakura rescued him from the mean men of Outpost six just a few hours ago." She giggled, clearly amused with herself.

"Emh, hi." The boy lifted his hand to address himself, feeling awkward about the situation.

"So... It's you." Spoke the Eva. "You're the one who killed me."

* * *

Asuka's hands were trembling, seated over the throne of her soul with the main screen focused on the face of Shinji Ikari. The blue light coming out of her scarred left eye was glowing so bright it was impossible to stare at the Second Child directly. It was him, that boy. The boy of the apocalypse. He was here, he was in her mercy. A rush of uncontrollable anger was seeping inside, she could remember the pain just not long ago, everything, all because of this one boy. Her fist clenched, and her teeth gritted. She wanted to move her Eva's arm and smash the deck to the next world. To repay what he has given her.

_Asuka caressed Shinji's face._

The girl rushed her hand towards the glowing eye, and all the light inside the plug dissipated, she breathed heavily and tried to calm herself. _'I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you.'_ She repeated. It soothed her mind. _'I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you.'_ These three words reiterated inside her head, and it excited her. _'I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll...'_

"Shinji?" Asuka sat over the beach of a shore, watching the red sea.

"Yes?" He replied. He was right beside her.

"What do we do now?"

"...We keep going." The boy replied, immobile on the sand.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere I guess... Where do you want to go?"

Asuka remained tacit. She turned to Shinji, who was looking her back, and they stared at one another.

"It doesn't matter. I'm where I want to be."

"This isn't much of a place to live." He said.

"Why does it matter?"

Shinji looked at her for a long time and smiled.

"Yeah... It doesn't."

* * *

**つづく**


End file.
